Saturday, August 25, 2012

My Bead Soup Creation!

This has been quite an adventure for me!  Thanks first to Lori Anderson for hosting this tremendous project.  It's been a lot of fun to participate!  Next I'd like to thank my partner Jane Haag.  She is a very sweet and kind person that I'm so happy to have met...long distantly.  I've enjoyed working with her little works of art so very much.   

Now, I thought I'd start out by showing a couple of teasers so you could get just a taste of what I'm serving up.

Everyone should know by now that I'm not really a jewelry maker.  I made most of the lampwork beads in the necklace and bracelet for this Bead Soup project.  I chose some of my favorites to compliment what my partner sent me.

Hungary Yet?
Double Helix is a silvered glass which when exposed to a reduction flame brings out all different kinds of shimmer.  The main bead in the middle of the top picture is made with two different types of DH glass. The side with Psyche is where you see the green, purple and pink luster.  Triton is the other side with the rich purple luster.  The pinkish beads are made of Aurae, another DH glass that really is sort of unpredictable, sometimes gold, sometimes pink and sometimes a soft magenta!

My partner Jane Haag, sent me the most beautiful silver hammered pieces that she made herself.  I really love how Lori Anderson paired us up, with both of us being artists that create the components of jewelry.

I love what Jane sent me too, and when I saw all the ingredients I pretty much knew what I wanted to do.

If you read one of my blog posts a while back, you know what I mean by "Who am I making this for?"  The answer is, I made it for me.

I've always loved necklaces that have different tiers of strands with kind of a whimsical, random look.  I also like necklaces where you see the exposed silver wire that space out the beads or charms.  So that was my plan.
Looks Good Enough To Eat!

It was a no-brainer that I was going to use the sterling silver flower as the focal (she sent an alternate which I used in the bracelet).  That was the main piece of the bottom tier.  The silver hammered rings were stunning, but she only sent me three!  The challenge there was how was I going to make this work....remember I'm no jewelry designer.  I played around with different ideas and came up with the idea of wire wrapping one of my beads to link two together.  So that was the focal of the next tier.  Finally, on the last tier I used that last ring to attach the sweet little charms together.  Joy, calm, and bliss.....well, not yet.

I could write a book about the struggles I went thru putting it all together, but I know you have other blogs to hop.  Let's just say that I felt that joy, calm and bliss after about 3 weeks working on it...on and off.  I had to get away from it at times to collect my thoughts and think how to solve the many problems I encountered during the construction.

Triple Layer Bracelet with Kazuri Focal Bead
By the time I was finished with the necklace, I was totally exhausted so I got some of that memory wire and started using up what was left of the beads that Jane sent me. 




This is How We Hang!

Since it was necessary for me to show how the necklace would hang around someone's neck. The only person around I could use as a model was my husband, so that was out.  I could have modeled it myself, but naaahh. Please excuse the less than perfect photography.

It worked out fine with the necklace display piece, even though it was dirty.  I covered it with a pretty piece of fabric.  In order to get it to hang right, I had to wrap the back of the necklace around the front, which shows off the lovely clasp that Jane made.

Sorry to have kept you so long.  I did go back and do some editing....really!

Happy Hopping!

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Coming Soon!



Hostess, Lori Anderson, Pretty Things

Agi Kiss, Moonsafari Beads 
Alice Peterson, Alice Dreaming
Alison Sachs, Beads by Earthtones
Amanda Dittloff, Passion Smashin'
Andra Marasteanu, Bijoux de Monanage
Angie Szlovak, SweetBeads
Anitra Gordy, Leelu Creations
Ann Sherwood, Ann's Blog
Arlene Dean, A Glass Bash
Audrey Belanger, Dreams of an Absolution
Barb Solem, Vivi Magoo Presents
Barbara Blaszczyk, laboratorim Flory
Bianca Odenthal, Zydies Glasperlen
Birgit Klughardt, GitesBeads
Bobbie Rafferty, Beadsong Jewelry
Bonnie Coursolle,  Jasper Gems
Cece Cormier, The Beading Yogini
Charlene Jacka, Clay Space
Cherrie Fick, En La Lumie're
Cheryl Foiles, Get Your Bead On
Christie Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Christina Miles, Wings n Scales
Christina Stofmeel, Feng Beads
Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design
Cindy Cima Edwards, Live to Design
CJ Bauschka, 4 His Glory Creations
Claire Smith, Embergrass Jewelry
Cynthia Riggs, Cynth's Blog
Dana Fowler, Trunk Full of Treasure
Dawn Pierro, Turtle Moon Designs
Dee Elgie, Cherry Obsidia
Donetta Farrington, Simply Gorgeous


Dot Lewallwn, Speedie Beadie
Elizabeth Bunn, Elizabeth Beads
Eva Kovacs, Ewa gyongyos vilaga!
Evelyn Duberry, Sheba Makeda
Fay Wolfenden, Torch Fairy
Fen Li, Bead Flora Jewels
Gail Zwang, Angel Moose Enterprises
Geneva Collins, Torque Story
Grace Dorsey, Fan of the Flame
Gretchen Nation,  Art Food Lodging

Hannah Annear, Squintessential
Heather Goldsmith, As I Bead It
Heather Otto, The Craft Hopper
Heidi Kingman, My Bead Therapy
Hope Smitherman, Crafty Hope
Isolina Perez, Isolina Perez
Jacqueline Keller, CreARTelier
Jane Haag, Did You Make Something Today?
Janeen Sorensen, Wild Vanilla Designs
Jean Peter, Jean P. Designs


Jennifer Judd, Jen Judd Rocks
Jennifer L Justman, Soul's Fire Designs
Joanna Matuszczyk, Bizuteria z filcu
Joanne Brown, Jo's Jewels
Joanne Lockwood, Jo Bunkum
Joyce Becker, Joyce's Joyful Gems
Judy Riley, Three Red Beads
Karen Mitchell, Over the Moon Design
Karen Williams, Baublicious
Karin von Hoeren, Creative Ideen

Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams
Kashmira Patel, Sadafule .. always in bloom!
Kate Richbourg, We Can Make That at Home

Katrin Lembke, AllesPerle
Kathy Combs, Torched in Texas
Kathy Lindemer, Bay Moon Design
Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz
Kelley Fogle, My Life, One Bead at at Time
Kelly Hosford Patterson, Traveling Side Show

Klaudette Koon, Only Road
Lara Lutrick, Lampwork Beads by Lara
Laura Guenther, Blue Antiquities
Laurie Lalonde, HourGlass Studio
Lilik Kristiani, Soul of My Embodiment
Linda Younkman, Lindy's Designs
Lisa Chapman, Beach Cat Beads
Lisa Lodge, Pine Ridge Treasures
Loretta Carstensen, Designs by Loretta
Lori Bergmann, Lori Bergmann Design
Lupe Meter, Gem's PC Corner
Lynn Davis, LLYYNN

Malin de Koning, Beading by Malin
Mandi Effron, Craft-o-licious
Mandy Williamson, Mimi's Beading
Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter
Maria Rosa Sharrow, Willow Street Shops
Marianne Baxter, Simply Seablime Jewelry
Marina Dobrynina, Savon Feutre
Marjolein Trewavas, Room for Change
Marelene Cupo, Amazing Designs
Marsha Neal, Marsha Neal Studio

Marta Kaczerowska, uhuhu
Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs
Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes
Menka Gupta, Menka's Jewelry Blog
Michelle Burnett, Reverie and Revival
Michelle Escano-Caballero, The Cabby Crafter
Miko Wiropati, Uniquely Yunikua
Milla Hope,  LB Creative Arts and Crafts
Mimi Gardner, Other Curiosities
Miranda Ackerley, MirandackArts
Natalie McKenna, grubbi

Noemi Baena, fuego, metal, y color
Pam Ferrari, Ferrari Originals
Pam Sears, Crazy Creative Corner
Penny Neville, Copper Penny
Rachel Baron, R. Baron Designs
Rachel Myers, Rockabead Jewelry
Rana Wilson, Definitive Designs by R. Wilson
Rebecca Anderson, Song Beads
Rebecca Sirevaag, Becca's Place
Riki Schumacher, Riki Jewelry

Rose Binoya, Ahtee's Blog
Rossana De Gaspari, Rdegas Blog
Sally Anderson, Wild Sally Road
Sandi James, Do Be Do Bead Do
Sandi Volpe, Sandi Volpe
Sandra Wollberg, City of Brass Stories
Sarah Small, blog by salla
Shai Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings
Shawn Mills, Shawn Marie Designs with Bent Wire
Sheila Davis, Stone Designs by Sheila

Sheryl Stephens, Babble Bead
Shiraz Biggie, Secret Song Designs
Solange Collin,  Ahowin Handcrafted Jewelry
Sonya Stille, Dreamin' of Beads
Stephanie Dixon, The Dixon Chick
Susan Kennedy, Sue Beads
Susan Sheehan, Strands of Thought
Suzann Sladcik Wilson, Beadphoria
Sweet Freedom, Sweet Freedom Designs
Tabatha Dinger, Modernly Created
Tania Hagen, Pelima Jewellery Design

Tanya Boden, Fusion Muse
Terry Carter, Tapping Flamingo
Tracy Stillman, Tracy Stillman Designs

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Accomplishment

I am proud and relieved to report that I have completed my necklace design for my "Bead Soup."  My reveal date isn't until August 25th, so I can't show it yet.  I just wanted to say that I feel a real sense of accomplishment for having made a complicated (for me) necklace design that actually meets my own standards of craftsmanship!

Most of my friends know that I am not a jewelry maker.  I am a lampwork artist who is totally consumed with making glass beads from colorful molten glass.  I love and appreciate beads made by my friends and heroes, I love jewelry, and I especially love jewelry made with my own beads.  However, when it comes to creating a piece of jewelry myself, I get totally frustrated!  It's so tedious, having to put the little wires through  tiny holes, crimping, closing jumprings so that they don't let go, and messing up and starting over at least 20 times before I get it right.  I also hate it when I ruin a piece of silver, arrrrggghhh!  It's too expensive to waste!  Hence the reason that I rarely make jewelry. 

I went thru a lot of silver wire to create my Bead Soup Necklace, as well as a lot of crimps.  Thank goodness there's a jewelry company that buys back silver that's been wasted.  I think my craftsmanship has improved a bit too!  I'm just so glad that it turned out the way I wanted it. 

When I tell my friends about "Bead Soup" they always ask me, what happens to the jewelry after you do it?  Lori, the Bead Soup Hostess told me that you can keep it!  I guess some jewelry designers sell them, maybe even trade back with their partner, but I do plan to keep mine.  First of all I really like it, and second, there is no way anyone could pay the amount of money that I would have to charge given the amount of time I put into it!  So I guess I'm going to have to go out and find a shirt that would set it off just right!  I guess if someone offered me $200 I'd let it go,...it's worth that much to me anyway.